Adjustable cladding for mitigating wind-induced vibration of high-rise structures
A system, device and method for reducing wind-induced vibration using cladding includes one or more movable panels attached to an outer façade of a high-rise building, skyscraper or any other structure subject to wind-induced vibration.
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This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 16/408,888, filed on May 10, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/669,528, filed on May 10, 2018, the contents of each which is hereby incorporated in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure is directed to systems, devices and methods for reducing vibration, and in some aspects provides systems for reducing wind-induced vibration using cladding comprising one or more movable panels attached to an outer façade of a high-rise building, skyscraper or any other structure subject to wind-induced vibration.
BACKGROUNDTall buildings often require supplemental damping to keep the wind-induced vibrations at a level imperceptible by most building occupants during wind storms. Damping devices have been developed which are able to mitigate structural vibration to varying extents. However, each of the general implementations currently known in the art is subject to limitations inherent to the structure and physical principles underlying these devices. For example, devices based upon a solid mass counterweight, such as tuned mass dampers (“TMDs”) and active mass dampers (“AMDs”), are expensive and heavy (e.g., weighing hundreds of tons). These implementations operate, for example, by swinging or sliding a solid weight counter based on the sway of the building. However, a solid weight counter reduces the amount of leasable floor space in a building and typically requires extensive customization thereby increasing costs. Alternative liquid-based damper systems are known in the art, such as traditional tuned liquid dampers (“TLDs”), which function as a “slosh tank” as the building sways thereby absorbing vibration energy. As with the solid mass dampers, traditional TLDs suffer from increased costs resulting from the custom-built nature of these devices and maintenance costs associated with maintaining a large tank of liquid and again the concomitant loss in leasable floor space.
The tuned liquid column damper (“TLCD”) is an alternative liquid-based damper solution, which partially mitigates the drawbacks of traditional TLDs. A standard TLCD is a U-shaped tank filled with water and sized such that the water naturally oscillates in the tank at the same frequency as the wind-induced building motion. A limitation of the TLCD is that it is tuned to a particular frequency by design and cannot be tuned to a different frequency without a major retrofit of the finished damper. Furthermore, TLCDs typically require a large amount of horizontal space and so they cannot fit in buildings with small or narrow footprints, such as slim skyscrapers, which are becoming increasingly popular among urban developers. In addition, the motion of the water in the TLCD does not dissipate energy consistently when the amplitude of motion varies. Finally, the TLCD tank is typically made of concrete and may leak over time thereby increasing costs.
The shortcoming of standard TLCDs may be partially addressed by an alternative implementation, consisting of a U-shaped pipe filled with water similar to a standard TLCD, but capped at one end with a gas spring (the “spring TLCD”). The gas spring allows the spring TLCD to be tuned to a broader range of frequencies than standard TLCDs. However, the spring TLCD remains subject to a substantial limitation in that the adjustable stiffness of the gas spring can only add to the gravity-induced stiffness of the U-shaped pipe. The total stiffness of the spring TLCD can therefore never be less than this gravity-induced stiffness, which is too high to tune the damper to the low frequencies of very tall buildings. As a result, the spring TLCD cannot be relied upon to efficiently dampen wind-induced vibrations in tall buildings (e.g., slender skyscrapers) above a height-to-width ratio of 10. Furthermore, the vertical ends required by a TLCD are obtrusive and reduce the number of viable placement locations within a structure.
Given these shortcomings associated with standard and spring TLCDs as well as other damper devices known in the art (e.g., solid mass, piston and bellows-based devices), there exists a need for alternative vibration mitigation systems, devices and methods which are capable of minimizing wind-induced motions without requiring as much space as traditional dampers as well as solutions which are capable of compensating for vibration across a wide frequency range.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure provides various configurations of a system for reducing or minimizing wind-induced vibration, comprising a cladding comprising a plurality of movable panels, means for attaching the cladding to a structure, means for moving the movable panels and a processor configured to control the movement of the movable panels using the means for moving the panels.
In a first exemplary aspect, the structure is a building and the cladding is attached to at least a portion of an outer façade of the building. In some aspects, at least a portion of the cladding forms a corner of the building. In some aspects, one or more of the movable panels forming the cladding comprise a transparent or translucent portion. The cladding may be attached to the building using a plurality of sliding tracks configured to allow and/or control movement of at least some of the plurality of movable panels. The means for moving the movable panels may comprise of electric or hydraulic systems and/or at least one motor/actuator.
In some aspects, the processor is configured to control the movement of the movable panels by adjusting an amplitude and/or frequency of one or more of the movable panels. For example, the processor may be configured to control the movement of the movable panels in response to wind speed and/or direction parameters. Wind speed and/or direction parameters may be detected and/or measured by a sensor attached or in proximity to the building.
In some aspects, the processor is further configured to receive parameters describing wind speed and direction and control the movement of the movable panels based upon the received parameters. In some aspects, the system further includes a sensor configured to detect wind speed and direction parameters, wherein the processor is further configured to control the movement of the movable panels based upon the detected wind speed and direction parameters. In some aspects, the structure is a building and the processor is further configured to move the movable panels at a frequency and/or amplitude that reduces wind-induced vibration of the building.
In still further aspects, a method for reducing wind-induced vibration of a structure is provided, comprising the steps of receiving from a sensor parameters describing wind speed and direction, controlling by a processor means for moving a plurality of movable panels forming a cladding attached to an outer façade of the structure, moving at least some of the movable panels forming the cladding, using the means for moving one or more movable panels based upon the received parameters describing wind speed and direction. In some aspects, at least some of the movable panels forming the cladding are moved at a frequency and/or amplitude that reduces wind-induced vibration of the structure.
This simplified summary of exemplary aspects of the disclosure serves to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description of the invention that follows. To the accomplishment of the foregoing, the one or more aspects of the invention include the features described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Exemplary aspects of the disclosure are described herein in the context of an adjustable cladding system and related methods, various aspects of which being suitable to reduce vibrations when incorporated into tall buildings or structures such as skyscrapers and towers. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of the example aspects as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used to the extent possible throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like items.
As indicated above, many modern structures (e.g., tall and super tall buildings) are adversely affected by vortex-induced vibration. Traditionally, wind-induced motion control has been addressed via supplemental damping. However, the present disclosure presents an alternative to supplemental damping in the form of a cladding system that can be actively controlled (e.g., to modify the shape of the outer façade of the structure). For example, windward corners of the outer façade of a structure may be displaced laterally in a harmonic motion with a predetermined frequency and amplitude. The frequency of motion may be selected to match the structure's natural frequency of vortex shedding. The amplitude of motion may vary: larger motions will yield better control over vortex formation and a reduction of overturning moment in the across-wind direction. Amplitude may thus be adjusted to produce the desired level of moment reduction. Moreover, corner panels may be displaced in opposing directions based on story height, causing wind vortices (and resulting negative pressures) to form on both side walls of the structure simultaneously, as opposed to one side wall at a time which is normally the case. In short, cladding systems according to the present disclosure may be used to control where the across-wind forces act upon a structure, so as to minimize overturning at the base and the resulting across-wind accelerations. Such systems may be advantageously installed on tall or super tall buildings, or on any other structures subject to wind-induced vibration (e.g., chimneys, masts and/or antennae). These principles will become further apparent in light of the following description of the figures and examples provided herein.
In the exemplary aspect shown by
In some aspects, the movement of the movable panels will be configured to mitigate, reduce or eliminate wind-induced vibration (e.g., sway) of the building. For example, the motion caused by the movement of the movable panels may be used to redirect alternating wind flow around the building at controlled frequencies that differ from the natural vortex-shedding frequencies. The computer or other electronic device controlling the panels may use wind speed and direction parameters or other information provided by at least one sensor to determine the amplitude and frequency of panel movement of cladding so as to minimize the overturning moment and resulting sway imposed onto the structure. In some aspects, the panel movement may be controlled on a floor-by-floor basis, e.g., with the movement of multiple cladding installations being controlled independently at different levels of the building.
Moveable panels of the adjustable cladding described herein may supplement the primary façade of a building (e.g., they may be attached to the outside of this weather barrier). It is appreciated that movable panels may be constructed from any façade construction material known in the art (glass, metal, ETFE, etc.) and that the choice of material may be selected for any given implementation based upon functional and/or aesthetic concerns without departing from the spirit of the invention.
As indicated above, movable panels of the cladding described herein may be anchored to a primary façade of a building or other structure (e.g., by sliding tracks) and controlled using a hydraulic or electric system. In some aspects, movable panels may include one or more hinges or other elements allowing the panels to rotate, deform and/or flex along one or more axes. The amplitude and frequency of such movement may be configured based upon data provided by one or more sensors communicatively linked to the computer or other electronic device. It is further appreciated that specific panel dimensions, motions and frequencies may be custom-designed for each unique structure based upon the structure's geometry, stiffness, surroundings and/or local wind climate.
The modeling data summarized in
In the interest of clarity not all of the routine features of the aspects are disclosed herein. It will be appreciated that in an actual implementation of the present disclosure, implementation-specific parameters may be selected. It will be appreciated that the selection of such parameters may be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure.
Furthermore, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of restriction, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge available to a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art(s) at the time of invention. Moreover, it is not intended for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such in the specification.
The various aspects disclosed herein encompass present and future known equivalents to the known structural and functional elements referred to herein by way of illustration. Moreover, while aspects and applications have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that many more modifications than those mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that individual features from any of the exemplary aspects disclosed herein may be combined to generate additional aspects that are in accordance with the inventive concepts disclosed herein.
Although illustrative exemplary aspects have been shown and described, a wide range of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of the embodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A system for reducing wind-induced vibration, comprising:
- a cladding comprising a plurality of movable panels;
- a means for attaching the cladding to a building;
- a means for moving the movable panels; and
- a processor configured to control the movement of the movable panels using the means for moving the movable panels,
- wherein the movement of the movable panels is configured to redirect alternating wind flow around the building at one or more controlled frequencies.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cladding is attached to at least a portion of an outer façade of the building.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cladding forms a corner of the building.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the movable panels comprises a transparent or translucent portion.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the movement of the movable panels by adjusting an amplitude and/or frequency of one or more of the movable panels.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to control the movement of the movable panels in response to wind speed and/or direction parameters.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to control the movement of the movable panels in response to wind speed and/or direction parameters detected by a sensor attached or in proximity to the building.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for attaching the cladding to the building comprises a plurality of sliding tracks configured to allow and/or control movement of the plurality of movable panels.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for moving the movable panels comprises:
- a) a hydraulic system; and/or
- b) at least one motor.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
- receive parameters describing wind speed and direction; and
- control the movement of the movable panels based upon the received parameters.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect wind speed and direction parameters, wherein the processor is further configured to control the movement of the movable panels based upon the detected wind speed and direction parameters.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to move the movable panels at a frequency and/or amplitude that reduces wind-induced vibration of the building.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to move the movable panels at a frequency and/or amplitude that minimizes wind-induced vibration of the building.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controlled frequencies differ from one or more natural vortex-shedding frequencies of the building.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the movement of the movable panels by displacing at least some of the movable panels laterally in a harmonic motion with a predetermined frequency and amplitude.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the movement of the movable panels by moving at least some of the panels at a frequency that matches the building's natural frequency of vortex shedding.
17. A system for reducing wind-induced vibration, comprising:
- a cladding comprising a plurality of movable panels;
- a means for attaching the cladding to a building and at least a portion of the cladding forms a corner of the building;
- a means for moving the movable panels; and
- a processor configured to control the movement of the movable panels using the means for moving the movable panels.
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Type: Grant
Filed: May 19, 2021
Date of Patent: Oct 18, 2022
Patent Publication Number: 20210277680
Assignee: THORNTON TOMASETTI, INC. (New York, NY)
Inventor: Andrew Blasetti (Ambler, PA)
Primary Examiner: Jessie T Fonseca
Application Number: 17/324,673